Sash-balance.



- 1?. LA GROTTA.

SASH BALANGE;

APPLIOATIONIILED MAR. 26, 1909.

Patented Oct. 19, 1909.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK LA GROTTA, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-FOURTH T0 JACOBGLECK- NEE AND ONE-FOURTH TO GEORGE A. STEPHENS, BOTH OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SASH-BALANCE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK LA GRo'rTA, a subject of the King of Italy,and a resident of Manhattan, New York city, in the county of New Yorkand State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Counterbalances, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to counterbalances for sashes and analogousarticles, and it consists in combining the counterbalance and two rods,one adapted to support the counterbalance and the other the sash orother article, with a substantially U shaped device containing flexibletransmission units for supporting the rods.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is an inner face view (partly in section) of awindow frame and sash embodying my invention, the reveal of the framehaving been removed to more clearly exhibit the material features. Fig.2 is an enlarged view of a portion of the tube, in section, showingalso, in full lines, a number of the units of the flexible support Iprefer to use.

F, is the frame of an ordinary window,

I provided as usual with jambs J, sill S, and

lintel L.

In the space behind the reveals, I mount a tube T, having preferably a Ushape and in it I place flexible transmission units, preferably a seriesof short units or blocks B, with convex side faces, alternating with aseries B with concave faces, though I do not limit myself to theparticular units shown, as I can omit the concave pieces, and the spiritof my invention, is, I believe, broad enough to include other forms andother materials than those shown; metal would answer as would water.

In the upper ends of the legs of the tube T, I place rods or plungers,P, in the leg nearest the sash frame and P, in the other leg. At theupper end of the plunger P, I mount the counterbalance C, and on thesash I secure arms, lugs or brackets 72 which make contact with, andpreferably are hinged to, the upper ends of plungers P.

The operation is manifest. With the parts in position shown in Fig. 1,the weight acting through plunger P, units B B, plunger P, and thebracket Z) brings the pressure, due to its weight, upon the sash,applied toward the labor of lifting it, and, if the weight be suitablyproportioned, will be almost or Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 26, 1909.

Patented Oct. 19, 1909.

Serial N 0. 486,063.

The result is, that very light or very heavy sashes or analogousarticles may be readily so supported as to be moved easily in eitherdirection, with the application of very little force, and be held atrest in any desired position without the use of other means of supportthan those shown. It also renders it a simple matter to so proportionthe weight that it will normally open a window and keep it open, if thatarrangement be desired, or will permit the weight of the sash tonormally close it and keep it closed, though requiring the minimum ofeffort to change its position. The tube T, as is manifest, isprincipally a guide for the flexible transmission units, and any form ofapparatus which would guide the said medium so that parts of it willpass from under one plunger to a position under the other, would in myopinion be equivalent to the tube in my combinations.

While I have described my device as employed to lift a sash, it ismanifest, that it would lift a sliding door or other article equally aswell, and I do not, in my use of the term sash, intend to restrict myclaims to combinations including sashes.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with an article to be liftedsuch as a sashof flexibletransmission units, a vessel adapted to contain said medium and providedwith upright portions, two plungers entering said upright portions, acounter-weight secured to one plunger and an 'arm projecting from thesash and engaging the other plunger, all substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with an article to be liftedsuch as a sash-offlexible transmission units, a U shaped tube adapted to contain saidmedium and provided with upright portions, two plungers entering saidupright portions, a counter-weight secured to one plunger and an arm pr0ect1ng from the sash and engaging the other plunger, all substantiallyas set forth.

3. The combination with an article to be lifted-such as a sasho1"t a Ushaped tube, a series of short pieces of rigid material located in saidtube, a plunger, entering one leg of said tube above said short pieces,a counter-weight connected with the upper part of said plunger, a secondplunger entering the other leg of said tube above said short pieces anda connection between the sash and the second plunger. i

4. The combination with an article to'be liftedsuch as a sashof a Ushaped tube, a series of short pieces of rigid material, some of whichare curved on the faces adjacent to others of the series, located insaid tube, a plunger entering one leg of said tube above said shortpieces, a counter-weight connected with the upper part of said plunger,a second plunger entering the other leg of said tube above said shortpieces and a connection be-,

tween the sash and the second plunger;

5. The combination with an article to be lifted-such as a sash-of aU'shaped tube, a series of short pieces of rigid material, some withconvex faces alternating with others" having concave faces located insaid tube, a plunger entering one leg of said tube above said shortpieces, a counter weight connected with the upper part of said plunger,a second plunger entering the other leg of said tube above said shortpieces and a connection between the sash and the second

